


into the parlor

by abovetheruins



Category: American Idol RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-08
Updated: 2014-09-08
Packaged: 2018-02-16 15:38:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2275248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abovetheruins/pseuds/abovetheruins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He really shouldn't be here.</p>
            </blockquote>





	into the parlor

**Author's Note:**

> Archie gets a tattoo for the cookleta fic train

He really shouldn't be here.  
  
It's - he doesn't even  _want_  a tattoo! He'd only agreed to go along with Carly when she'd asked for, uh, for moral support! Not so she could push him into one of the waiting chairs and throw this huge book of designs in his lap, grinning and saying, "Surprise, Archie! Pick one! My treat."  
  
"Um." What? Carly couldn't be - she couldn't be saying to... "C-Carly! No! No, no, no. I can't, there's no way, my parents -!"  
  
"Are never going to know," Carly replied smartly, reaching over to flip the book in his lap open to a page full of multicolor skulls and one very scantily clad woman.   
  
" _Oh my gosh_!" Archie slammed the book closed, practically throwing it at Carly - she caught it with a grin (and he could just see her trying not to laugh). "I'm not getting -  _that_ , or, or any of those other ones! I thought we were here for you!"  
  
"And we are," Carly agreed. "Partly, anyway. I put back enough cash for us both. So - " and oh, there was that grin again, that I'm-going-to-force-you-to-do-something-you-really-don't-want-to-do grin (it's an expression Archie's seen many times before, mostly on the face of one Michael Johns, resident tattoo artist and Carly's boyfriend). She flipped a few pages, making 'hmm' and 'ahh' sounds, moving so that Archie couldn't see what she was looking at.   
  
He took the time afforded by Carly's distraction and allowed himself to look around the nearly empty tattoo parlor. There was only one other customer besides the two of them so far as Archie could see, a blonde man in back who looked as if he felt right at home in the shop (if the multiple tattoos on his arms were anything to go by, and the um, lip piercings). He was talking quietly with a skinny dark-haired man, both of them looking completely at ease as another man with dreadlocks (Jason, a friend of Michael's) bent over the blonde's arm.   
  
It didn't look... well, it didn't look all that bad. Didn't even look like it hurt, really - the blonde certainly didn't seem to mind it.   
  
 _But you will_ , he thinks, wincing at the buzz of the machine as Jason worked, letting his eyes drift from the men to the walls instead, the multiple photos of satisfied customers and their own tattoos.  _And what are you even thinking, anyway? You're not doing this!_  Because he wasn't. At all. No matter what Carly said.

He was so focused on the photos on the wall that he nearly jumped at the sound of the back door banging open, followed by the raucous sounds of laughter as Michael and another man Archie had never seen before came out into the main parlor (Archie could see Michael stuffing a wilting pack of cigarettes into his back pocket, figured they'd both been on break).  
  
He can't help but follow them as they cross the room, unable to keep his eyes from drifting to the man at Michael's side more than once, feeling his face grow hot (the man is kind of, um, good-looking, with these really bright eyes and a nice smile and, well.)  
  
Carly's waving Michael over, her fingers curled around a page in the book, saying, "Come here and help me convince Archie to get this!"  
  
He's already halfway through another protest ("Carly,  _no_ , gosh, would you stop - ") when Michael slumps into the seat beside Carly, leaving the other man to take the last seat beside Archie (who freezes, actually  _freezes_ , voice stuck in his throat and cheeks warm).  
  
"Oh, you shouldn't definitely get this one, Arch," Michael is saying, nodding at whatever design Carly is showing him (and still not letting him  _see_ , dangit). "What do you think, Cook?"  
  
"Hmm?" The man beside him - Cook, apparently -  _leans across Archie's lap_ , oh my heck, and reaches for the book, eying the page Carly has bookmarked with a grin (his head is almost pressed up against Archie's  _chest_ , okay, and really, this is just, does this guy have no sense of personal space?)   
  
And then he looks at Archie with this really bright grin, and, um.  
  
"You should," he says (still far too close for Archie's comfort, but - ) "It would look good on you."  
  
"O-oh, well. I don't really... "   
  
"Cook could do it," Michael chimes in (and oh, he's wearing that grin, the same one Carly's been picking up from him and oh, oh no.) "He's free, aren't you, Cook?"  
  
"Hm? Oh, yeah." Cook finally leans back (Archie exhales, ragged and a little out of breath - how embarrassing! - and slumps into his seat). "I can do it now, if you want... Archie, was it?"  
  
He should say no. His parents will  _kill_  him if they find out (the whole thing wasn't even his idea!) But...  
  
"C'mon, Archie." And great, now even Cook is trying to talk him into this.  
  
He finally takes a look at the tattoo that Carly had picked out - it's not, it's actually kind of nice, just a pair of music notes. He could get it somewhere no one would see, maybe. And, it's not huge, not complicated, so maybe it wouldn't hurt all that much? And oh, he's actually considering this.  
  
He takes one last look at the tattoo, at Michael and Carly's twin expressions of mischief, at Cook's bright, bright smile, and relents.  
  
"Okay." 


End file.
